DEVELOPERS of a proposed Loch Lomond resort have been accused of using “distortion and disinformation” in an effort to drum up support for the scheme.
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer claimed Flamingo Land is “trying to shift the goalposts” in order to garner support for the proposed £40 million project, which was unanimously rejected by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park authority board in December.
The rejection came after around 155,000 people lodged objections through a campaign launched by the West of Scotland MSP, who has been vocal on social media against the development.
Locals objected to the plans over potential increased traffic levels, the lack of tourism infrastructure already in place and questioned where local people could go to picnic, walk dogs, play, and exercise if the central green area has more than 100 lodges built on it.
Other objections came from the Woodland Trust, Ramblers Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).
Developers at Lomond Banks launched an appeal to be considered by the Scottish Government in a bid to salvage plans, which Greer has dismissed as “desperate”.
The MSP said the appeal distorts facts and makes false assertions.
Greer said: “Flamingo Land’s appeal is based on distortion and disinformation.
“They are trying to shift the goalposts, bend the truth and misrepresent their own proposals.
“It is a desperate attempt to overturn the unanimous decision by the park board to reject their application.
“Our campaign to save Loch Lomond from Flamingo Land’s destructive proposals secured a record 155,000 objections.
“The national park’s own expert planning officers even opposed it, as did Scotland’s national environment watchdog, Sepa, and the community council.
“The fact that Flamingo Land have come back with this outright nonsense shows the contempt they have for Balloch and Loch Lomond.
“They have spent a decade trying to exhaust the community into submission, but they have lost at every step. I urge the Scottish Government to reject these catastrophic plans and end this sorry saga.”
There is currently a Flamingo Land resort near Malton, North Yorkshire, which offers holiday packages, a zoo, and theme park rides.
Its proposed sister park in Loch Lomond would boast two hotels, a waterpark, more than 100 woodland lodges, 370 parking spaces, a monorail, shops and restaurants.
It has been anticipated the site would result in around 250 additional car journeys per hour on roads in the surrounding area during peak times.
The Scottish Greens said Flamingo Land has claimed Loch Lomond national park could have insisted the scale of its application should be reduced.
However, the Greens said it is Flamingo Land’s responsibility to reduce the size of the application, noting it has not done so in its almost decade-long fight to build the resort.
The party has accused developers of trying to use national planning framework policies in their favour, which Greens said do not apply because it is a tourist resort, not a housing development.
A number of flooding concerns have also raised in connection with the development of the park, which the Greens accused park bosses of attempting to claim exemption from.
